If our lives do not reflect radical compassion for the poor, there is reason to wonder if Christ is really in us at all
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of showing compassion to the less fortunate as a reflection of one's faith.
David Platt's quote suggests that true faith in Christ should manifest itself through acts of radical compassion towards those in poverty. It challenges individuals to introspect whether their spiritual beliefs translate into tangible kindness and support for the marginalized, thereby questioning the authenticity of their faith if it does not.
In practice
In a sermon about the importance of lending a helping hand to others, I shared this quote to inspire compassion.
So what is the difference between someone who willfully indulges in sexual pleasures while ignoring the Bible on moral purity and someone who willfully indulges in the selfish pursuit of more and more material possessions while ignoring the Bible on caring for the poor? The difference is that one involves a social taboo in the church and the other involves the social norm in the church.
The price is certainly high for people who don’t know Christ and who live in a world where Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and settle into self-indulging faith. While Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the Gospel remain in the dark
What if the very reason we have breath is because we have been saved for a global mission? And what if anything less than passionate involvement in global mission is actually selling God short by frustrating the very purpose for which he created us?
A high view of God’s sovereignty fuels death-defying devotion to global missions. Maybe another way to put it, people, and more specifically pastors, who believe that God’s sovereign over all things will lead Christians to die for the sake of all peoples.
[...]there is no injustice in God. The injustice lies in Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who haven't heard.
God involves us in his missions not because He needs us, but because He loves us. And in His mercy He has invited us to be involved in His sovereign design for the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Life never presents us with anything which may not be looked upon as a fresh starting point, no less than as a termination.
Economics and a reliance on science and technology to solve our problems has led to an unsustainable situation where continued growth in consumption is required for governments and business to be considered successful. This is a form of insanity. Economics is at the heart of our destructive ways and our faith in it has blinded us
Physically robust infrastructure is not enough if it fails to foster a healthy community; ultimately, all infrastructure is social.
When we understand that man is the only animal who must create meaning, who must open a wedge into neutral nature, we already understand the essence of love. Love is the problem of an animal who must find life, create a dialogue with nature in order to experience his own being.
My argument is that War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading.
You can't help the poor by being one of them.
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